Traffic-directing signaling device.



C. A. SINGER. TRAFFIC DIRECTING SIGNALING DEVICE.

1,289,832. APPLICATION FILED IAY I2. IBIS. patentedsept. ll

2 SHEETS SHEEI I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. SINGER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 SINGQB AUTO TRAFFIC SIGNAL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TRAFFIC-DIRECTING SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 11, 1917,

Application filed May 12, 1915. Serial No. 27,591.

To all whom it may cone n:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Smoea, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Trafiic- Directing Signaling Devices, of which the following is a full, clcar,-aud exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to traliic directing si nals for vehicles.

he main object of my invention is to provide an efficient trailic directing signaling device for automobiles and similar ve hicles by which the operator in charge of the vehicle can indicate a proposed change in the.direction or speed of travel of the vehicle, as, for example, that it will either turn to the right, or the left, or turn completely around or stop or slow down.

Another object is to provide a trilllic directing signaling device for vehicles comprising indicators arranged in such a manner that they can be seen from the front and from the rear of the vehicle when the are in operative position and which are il uminated at ni ht when in an operative position.

And still another object is to provide a traffic signaling device for vehicles that comprises a pluralit; of indicators and a selecting means under control of, the operator in charge of the vehicle on which the device is used for operating a selected indicator or rendering it operative, the complete device preferably consisting of two sets-of indicators arranged so that they can be seen from the front and from the rear of u the vehicle when operative-and combined with a selectin means under control of t e operator in sue a manner that the indicators of bgth sets, which are of the same c aracter, will operate simultaneously. her objects and desirable featuresof my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the embodiment ofv my invention herein illustrated the complete device comprisestwo sets of similar indicators arranged so that they can be seen from the front and from the rear of the vehicle on which the dev' e is used,and means under control of operator in charge of the vehicle for Operating the indicators at the front and at the rear of the vehicle that are of similar character, or causing said Indicators to become operative pllUl to a change in the direction of travel of the vehicle or prior to a ,to cause the pair of in icators with which said device cooperates to become operative.

Means is preferably employed for illuminating the indicators at night, which means may consist of electric lights that either burn continually at night or which light automaticallywhenever any one pair of indicators is rendered operative.

'Figure 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic view, illustrating the electric circuits of my improved trafiic directing signaling device.

Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view of one of the indicator housings, showing the indicators arranged inside of same.

Fig. 3 is.an elevational view of said in dicator housing, with the front cover rcino ed and the indicators in the housing broken away so as to more clearly illustrate the construction of the controlling devices.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the magnets that forms part of the mechanism f0.- operatin one set of indicators.

Fig. 5 is. a longitudinal sectional view of one of the manual controlling devices used to govern the indicators.

Bi 6 is an elevational view 'of the insulatmg plate that carries the contacts which cooperate with the contacts on theor cover plate of said housing being removed so as to more clearly illustrate the construc tion of the indicator-operating mechanism.

My complete traffic directing signaling dcvice comprises two groups or sets of indiing the indicators B into and out 0 l5 tive position with relation to the sight open cators, one of said grou s being arran ed in a housin A, shown in. igs. 2 and 3, t at IS arrange so that the indicators of same can be seen from the front of the'vehicle when they are operative and thiother group being arranged in a housing that is so arranged that the indicators of same can be seen from the rear of the vehicle when they are operative. It is immaterial, so far as my invention is concerned, how these housings A and A are arranged on the vehicle, so ion as they are located in such a position that tl e indicators in same can be seen readily from the front and from the rear of the vehicle. As both of said housings are of substantially the same construction I will only describe the housing A at the-i'ront of the vehicle, which is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Sand housing A preferably consists of a substantially box-shaped metal casing whose cover plate or front wall 1 isremovable and provided with a sight opening 1', shown in ig. 2, over which a piece 6f glass or a transparent member 2 extends. A plurality of mdicators Bare arranged vertically in the housing A in such a manner that they can be move vertically into and out of alinement with the sight openin in the front wall of the casing, the casing s own in Figs. 2 and.3 being provided with five indicators B that have indicia thereon for indicatin a proposed change in the direction or s d of the vehicle. or exam is, one of t e indicators can be provided with the word Rightf, to indicate a turn of the vehicle to the right; another provided with the word Left another with the word Turn; anotheqwith the .word Slow and the other, or remaining indicator, with the word Stop. Instead of bein provided with words for designating a c ange in the direction or speed of the vehicle, the indicators B can be rovidedwith other indicia. The particu or details of construction of the'indicators B are, of course, im-

material, but I prefer to form each indicator from a rectangularly-shaped' frame 3, as shown in Fig. 3, that surrounds a web 4 having perforations or cut-out portions that constitute the words previously mentioned, so as to enable 'the indicators to be illuminated at night, as hereinafter described. If desired, said web 4 can be rovided with a strip of translucent materia that extends over the cut-out portions in same so as to diffuse the li ht employed to illuminate the pdicator. 'I he indicators B are normally .Hrranged' in the lower porti n of the housing A, one behind the othe as shown in Fig. 2, being retainedin th's position by means of vertically-dis osed guldeways or flan es 5 on the end we s of the casing A.

arious means may be employed ormovoperaing l irr the front wall of the housing A, but I refer to operate said indicators manually means of a plurality of movable control ing devices C which are operativcly connected with the indicators B b cords or cables 6, as sh'own in Figs. 2 an 3. Five controlling devices are slidingly mounted on the rear wall of the housing A, and each of said devices is secured to a pair of flexible members or cables 6 that lead from the 0% posite ends of the articular indicator with which said evice e06 crates, u wardly through guides 7 on t e end we is of the housing-A, then transversely of said housin to a guide 8 arranged on the top wall 0 said housing in vertical alinement with the controlling device C. Said controlling devices 0 are referabl slidingly mounted in verticallyisposed ots 9 in the real wall of the housing A, each of said devices ha a non-circular shank 10, shown in F' E ihu fits snugly in its cor ond ing s at 9, a friction device 11, prefers ly a resilient washer, arranged in such a manner that it will bear upon the inner side of the rear wall of the housing A and a sleeve 12 that engages the connec cable 6 of the indicator. In the construction herein shown a single or continuous cable is provided for each indicator, which cable runs from one end of the indicator" to thesleeve 12 and then aroundsaid sleev to the opposite end of the indicator. This, of course, is a detail that could be changed in various we 5. In view of the fact that the controlling evices C govern the operation of the electrically-operated mechanism employed to actu- .ate the indicators B at the rear of the machine which are arranged inthe housing A, I have royided each of the controlling devices with a spring contact: 13 that is adapted to cage 0 cooperating contacts when said device is operative, said spring contact 13 and the sleeve 12 and washer 11 being connected to the controlling device by a screw 14, as shown in Fig. 5.

One'or more electric lamp bulbs 15 are arranged inside of the housin A, so as to illuminate the indicator in said housing that is in an operative condition, or, in other words, which is arran ed in alinement with the sight openin in t e front wall of said housing, said bul being mounted in sockets 1 carried by an insulating strip 17 which is s pport'ed by brackets 18. This insulating st ip 17 is provided with five airs of Sta-- ti nary contacts 19, shown in 'ig. 6, which are so arranged that they will cooperate with the spring contacts 13 on the controlling dev ces (J, the contact of each controlling device engaging one pair of; the contacts 19 when said controlling. device is moved into its operative position as shown in Fig. 2.

The housm A at the rear of the machine is provided with five electro-magnsts 20 {o operating the indicators B in said housing,

. portion of said housing in such a position the indicators in said housing at night.

that they are hidden from view, but whenever one oi the 'magnets20 is energized, the

particular indicator that cooperates with said magnet will be raised upwardly i'nto operative osition as shownin Fig. 8 The housing A is also equipped with one or'rnore electric lamp bulbs 15', so as to illuminate The electric lights in the housings A and A and the electrically-operated mechanism in the housing A are energized by a battery a: or other suitable source of electrical energy, as shown in Fig. 1, the circuits in which the various lighting units and operating magnets 20 are arranged being so designed that the magnets 20 will be rendered operative automatically when the contr lling devices C are rendered operative. In rder that the lighting units may be cut out of service durin the day I have arran ed a switch 22 in t e energizing circuit, as own in Fig. 1. When said switch 22 is closed the li hting units in both of the housings Am A will operate automatically whenever the controlling devices C are rendered operative, but when said switch 22 is open the depression of one of the controlling devices C will cause only its corresponding magnet 20 to be energized. In other words, -the spring contact 13 of each of the controlling dcvices C' cooperates with two contacts 19, one of whichgoverns oneof the electromagnets 20'and the other governs the circuit in which the lighting units are-arranged. If the switch-22 is closed when one of the controlling devices Cis depressed so as to cause its spring contacts 13 to engage one of the pairs of contacts 19, the source of light in both of the housings A and A will operate and one of the magnets 20 will operate,

but if said switch 22 is open, only the magnet will be energized.

When the operator in charge of the vehicle desires to indicate a proposed change either in the direction or speed of the vehicle, as, for example, that the vehicle will turn to the right, he depresses the controlling device C that cooperates with the indicator B provided with the word Right," thereby manually raising the indicator thus marked in the housing A and causing the corresponding indicator in the housing A to be moved upwardly by the electricallyoperated mechanism in the housing A". If the switch 22 is closed, the lighting units in said housings will light up, and thus illuminate the two indicators that hav been rendered operative. After the change in the direction of travel has been effected the op' erator restores the controlling device C to its former position, thereby rendering both of the indicators inoperative and causing the lights to be extinguished.

While I prefer to use two groups or sets of indicators arranged so that they can be seen from the front and from the rear of the vehicle, I do not wish it to be understood that my broad idea is limited to a traffic directing signaling device that comprises two groups of indicators, as one feature of my invention consists in a traffic directing signaling device comprising a housing or casing'containing a plurality of'indicators of different character that are normally inoperative and a selective controlling means for enabling the operator in charge of the vehicle to operate or render operative a selected indicator. Furthermore, while I prefer to actuate one group of indicators manually and 'the other group of indicators by an electrically-operated mechanism, it will, of course be obvious that various other means could be employed for actuating the indicators and for causing the indicators of a similar character to operate simultaneously.

A traflic directing signaling device of the construction herein described forms an efiicient means for indicating a proposed change in the direction or speed of travel of a vehicle; it comprises indicators which can be readily seen during the day, as well as at night and it is of such a character that it can applied easily to automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles;

Having thus described my invention,what I ilaim, and desire to secure by Letters Paten is:

1. A'trafiic signal for vehicles, comprising two groups of indicators arranged at the front and at the rear of the vehicle and each composed of a plurality of indicators of different character, a manually-operated selective means for actuating the indicators of one group, and an electrically-operated mechanism controlled b said manually-operated selective means or actuating the indicators of the other group.

2. A traflic signal for vehicles, comprising two oups of indicators arranged to be seen rom the front and from the rear of the.

vehicle and each composed of a plurality of indicators of difl'erent character, amanually-o erated' selective means for moving the Gators of one oup into operative posit on, and an electrically-operated mechamsm for actuating the indicators of the other group, said mechanism being so concomprising two grpenps of indicators, each of which is compo of a plurality of in-- dicators of difierent character a plurality of manually-operated controlling devices,

means for transmitting movement fromsaid v controlling devi s to the indicators of one cup, an elect cally-operated mechanism or actuating t e indicators of the other group, and means 'on said controlling devices for closing the circuit that energizes said electrically-operated mechanism.

4. A traflic signaling device for vehicles, comprisin two grou s of indicators, each of which is compo of a plurality of indicators of difierent character 'a plurality of manually operated control ing devices, means for transmitting movement from said controlling devices to the indicators of one group, an electrically-operated mechanism or actuating the indicatois of the other group, and contacts on said controlling devices that are ada ted to en ge contacts that form part 0 e circuit in which said electricall -ope ed mechanism is arrange when sai con ling devices are in an operative position! i 5. A trafiic signaling device for vehicles, comprising two groups of indicators, each of which is compose of 'a plurality of indicators of difl'erent character a plurality of manually-operated control means for transmitting movement from said co'ntrolling devices to the indicators of one group, electricallymperated mechanism -for actuating the indicators of the other group, contacts on said controlling devices that are adapted to engage contacts that form part of the circuit in which said electrically-operated mechanism is arranged when and controlling devices are in an operative osition, and. illuminating devices for said indicators thatoperate automatically whenever g devices,

in an inoperative condition a bank of manually-ope rated controllin devices, means for transmitting movement 0m said controlling devices to the indicators of one group, electro-ma ate for operating the indicators of the ot er grou lighting devices for illuminating the in 'cators in said housings contacts on said'contr'ollingdevices, each 0 which cooperates with a pair of contacts, one of which 18 arranged in the electro-magnet circuit and the other in the lightin circuit,

and a switch for enabling said lig ting devices to be cut out of service.

7. In asignalin apparatus for. vehicles,

the combination 0 a master si device comprising a manually-opera signal, a secondary signal device comprising am'ovable signaL-an electro-m et for the o 'ation of the said movable signal, and an ectric circuit, includifi a portion of said manually-operatedsign that operates the movable onda device. Y

- 8. a signalin alfparatus for vehicles, the combination 0 a master si 1 device comprising a manipulative sign a secondsignal device comprising a na an electro-magnet for the operation of the signal of the secondary device, an electric circuit, including a portion of said manipulative signal an the electro-magnet of the secondary device, an electric illuminant associated with each si al device, and means for controlling sai illuminant.

In testimonv whereof I hereunto aflix my si ature inthe presence of two witnesses, thISSGVEDth day of May 1915.

CHARLES A. SINGER.

Witnesses: 4

Wanna L. Cannon, Gnonon Baxnwnrm.

and the electm-magnet signal of the sec-' movable sig- 

